For the very reason that the Chinnaswamy is smaller in dimensions, this is probably the match that everyone has been looking forward to ever since Glenn Maxwell bludgeoned the Chennai Super Kings all over the UAE. Its pitch, that always has loads of runs in it to entertain the spectators, also adds some spice. Yes, it is time for the Royal Challengers Bangalore to lock horns with the Kings XI Punjab, who have been the team to beat for oppositions in IPL-7. But for brain fades you can almost be assured of a high-scoring thriller.

RCB:

If the Kings XI have Glenn Maxwell, RCB have their own trump card, Chris Gayle, who can match him or even get the better of him on his day. He has been off to good starts in his three games so far but has not quite managed to extend his stay much to the agony of his side. However, having scored a 33-ball 61 and a 53-ball 77 in the previous edition against KXIP, the Jamaican will be confident going up against them again. Ever since his 49 in the opening match this year against Delhi, runs have not been flowing that freely from the bat of skipper Virat Kohli. Though form is not a big concern for the 25-year-old, he would know that his contribution is very vital to the team if they are to get back to winning ways.

It is time for big tickets like Yuvraj Singh to come to the party when the team needs someone to put the hand the up and take up responsibility. So far, apart from his fifty in the first game against Delhi, the left-handed all-rounder has not done much. Though AB de Villiers, the man who is tailor-made for T20 cricket, failed in the last match against Mumbai, his heroics against Hyderabad and especially against Dale Steyn will still remain fresh on oppositions and he remains a force to be reckoned with. Captain Kohli would hope that his side gives AB the platform to tee off at the death. The addition of South African batsman Rilee Rossouw strengthens RCB as he provides them the aggression that is needed at the fag end of the innings.

RCB's biggest plus this year has been the performance of the bowling unit. Ably led by Australian seamer Mitchell Starc, the pace battery is doing fine with the likes of Varun Aaron hitting high-speeds. He is also rightly leading the bowling charts for his side. The pace and bounce from Aaron has troubled many a batsman while he has also added a good slower ball to his armoury. Ashok Dinda has been hot and cold so far this season but if he is considered as a good death bowler by his team management, it is time that he repaid their faith by delivering the goods. Young Yuzvendra Chahal has been a revelation for RCB. For a side that plays only one genuine spinner, Bangalore will feel proud and probably lucky too that the leg-spinner has been in the news for all the right reasons.

KXIP:

We know how devastating Virender Sehwag was and can be. But after seeing Maxwell bat the way he has so far, he himself admitted that the Australian youngster is more aggressive than him. Sehwag, who is looking for a breakthrough into the national side, has been giving the right starts to his side but somehow finds a way to throw it away in his 20s and 30s. However, with him not finding it hard to time the ball, a big innings is not too far away and Bangalore would hope that it doesn't come against them. A lot can be said about Maxwell the hero this IPL. If we have to keep it simple, he sees the ball and he hits the ball. He has formed a good partnership with David Miller this year and people call it the M&M show. The duo have smashed 318 runs off just 155 balls together so far in three different partnerships and are hungry for more. With captain George Bailey smoking them alright against Chennai, the batting looks even more stronger.

In the bowling though, Sandeep Sharma has grabbed all the eyeballs ahead of spearhead Mitchell Johnson. Despite playing lesser matches than Johnson, Sharma has picked up 10 wickets to be the highest wicket-taker in the side. Smiling assassin Lakshmipathy Balaji too has given the crucial breakthroughs but he was ignored for the game against Chennai. It will be interesting to see if Bailey brings him back on a wicket that is known to have pace and bounce. Rishi Dhawan and Akshar Patel too have given the side the right kind of variety and are playing a good support role. However, the KXIP bowlers could feel lucky that their batsmen are giving them enough cushion by posting huge scores.

Weather:

While it is almost sure that these two teams would thrill the viewer to the core on the field, there is a rain cloud surrounding the match in Bangalore that is threatening to play spoilsport. It has been raining in the Garden City for the past couple of days due to a cyclone in the Bay of Bengal and the met department has forecast showers until Saturday. However, it is predicted more to be sort of a start-stop kind of rain which means that there could be just enough time at least to constitute a 5-over contest.

Quotes:

"I felt like he was playing book cricket and every time he opened a page, it was four or six. It has been great to watch him bat," Virender Sehwag on Glenn Maxwell.

"We are not out of it. We are down but not out. Seven games, lost four and won three. So we just (need) to gain momentum by getting some wins back-to-back and that can change the entire face of RCB," Chris Gayle on RCB's chances of making it to the last four.

Kolkata Knight Riders' victory celebrations post their triumphant Indian Premier League (IPL) campaign were marred by a near-stampede followed by a lathi-charge as more than 150,000 supported clambered over barricades and gates to get a glimpse of their heroes.